1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector capable of short-circuiting supply terminals mounted in an apparatus side connector housing while the apparatus side connector housing is detached from a supply side connector housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is necessary to conduct maintenance, inspection and wiring for an electric circuit for an apparatus such as an air bag without activating the apparatus. Such an operation is performed after separating a supply side connector housing connected with a power source and an apparatus side connector housing connected with the apparatus. If an induced current caused by external magnetic and/or electric fields flow into the electric circuit during this operation, the apparatus wrongly operates. A connector is known in which (+)- and (-)-supply terminals mounted in the apparatus side connector housing are short-circuited to prevent such a wrong operation when both connector housings are separated from each other.
For example, in a connector shown in FIG. 6, a lever 73 for releasing a short-circuiting state is rotatably mounted on a supply side connector housing 71. In the illustrated connector, the lever 73 is in its locking position where it extends along the outer surface of the housing 71. In an apparatus side connector housing 72, two supply terminals 74 (only one supply terminal is shown in FIG. 6) are mounted side by side. A short-circuit terminal 75 is mounted below the supply terminals 74. The short-circuit terminal 75 is elastically in contact with the supply terminals 74. When the connector housings 71 and 72 are coupled and the lever 73 is rotated to its locking position, a pressing portion 76 of the lever 73 presses the short-circuit terminal 75 downward as shown FIG. 6, thereby releasing the short-circuited state between the supply terminals 74, 74 and establishing an electrical connection between the connector housings 71 and 72.
Since the prior art short-circuit terminal 75 is pressed by the lever 73 to release the short-circuited state, it acts to the short-circuited state, it acts to short-circuit the supply terminals 74, 74 in the absence of a pressing force from the lever 73. In other words, the apparatus may not operate if a certain external force acts on the lever 73 exposed at the outer surface of the supply side connector housing 71, thereby bringing the lever 73 out of its locking position, when the power source and the apparatus are connected by means of this connector.
In view of the above problem, it is an object of the invention to provide a connector in which a short-circuited state remain released even if a lever for releasing the short-circuited state is disengaged when a supply side connector housing and an apparatus side connector housing are coupled with each other, so that an apparatus is not brought into an inoperative state.